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Estimating Streaked Shearwater Calonectris Leucomelas Abundance in the Republic of Korea Using Automated Acoustic Recorders

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Estimating Streaked Shearwater Calonectris Leucomelas Abundance in the Republic of Korea Using Automated Acoustic Recorders Hart et al.: Estimates of Streaked Shearwater abundance in the Republic of Korea 109 ESTIMATING STREAKED SHEARWATER CALONECTRIS LEUCOMELAS ABUNDANCE IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA USING AUTOMATED ACOUSTIC RECORDERS KIRK A. HART1, STEFFEN OPPEL2, GRANT R.W. HUMPHRIES3, ANDREW BLACKBURN1 & KI-BAEK NAM4* 1Science Faculty, Coast Mountain College, 353 5th Avenue, Prince Rupert, BC V8J 3L6, Canada 2RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, United Kingdom 3Black Bawks Data Science, Fort Augustus, United Kingdom 4Korea Institute of Ornithology and Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea *([email protected]) Received 21 July 2020, accepted 28 December 2020 ABSTRACT HART, K.A., OPPEL, S., HUMPHRIES, G.R.W., BLACKBURN, A. & NAM, K.-B. 2021. Estimating Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas abundance in the Republic of Korea using automated acoustic recorders. Marine Ornithology 49: 109–117. Traditional methods to assess population size in seabirds are applicable only to species that nest in visible locations, leaving cryptic nocturnal, burrow-nesting seabirds underrepresented in typical long-term population monitoring programs. Alternative methods to count burrow-nesting birds, however, are extremely labor-intensive and therefore are applicable only to small and possibly unrepresentative areas, and may have negative effects on burrow-nesting populations. We suggest the use of automatic acoustic recorders as a possible survey technique to overcome logistic difficulties of research of seabirds on remote islands in the Republic of Korea, where funding for ecological research is extremely limited but where globally important seabird colonies exist. In this study, we used automated acoustic recorders to model the relationship between call activity and known abundance of the Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas at sites on Sasu Island, the largest breeding colony that exists in Korea, supplemented by data from the closely related Cory’s Shearwater C. borealis. Based on a positive relationship between breeding burrow density and call activity, we cautiously estimated the population size of the Streaked Shearwaters to be 95–278 pairs at another breeding colony on Chilbal Island. Although this method may not be precise enough to estimate the exact population size of a seabird species at a location, it can provide coarse estimates that can be used to track relative changes over time. Key words: automated acoustic recorder, breeding bird abundance, call activity, Calonectris leucomelas, population estimate, Streaked Shearwater, Korea, passive acoustic monitoring INTRODUCTION times of day or for months at a time at remote, difficult-to-access sites, such as remote islands. They are particularly useful where Traditional methods to assess population size and trends in nocturnal, burrow-nesting seabirds breed, by utilizing a passive seabirds include point counts and area visual searches (Walsh et al. means of recording (e.g., Buxton et al. 2013, Oppel et al. 2014). In 1995). These methods are applicable only in species whose nests this passive manner, the automated technology avoids the negative are visible, leaving cryptic, nocturnal, burrow-nesting seabirds impacts on wildlife reported in traditional surveying methods and underrepresented in typical long-term monitoring programs facilitates a comprehensive and possibly more representative survey (Schumann et al. 2013). In order to assess the status of the coverage, with less physical effort in the field for the burrow-nesting latter seabirds, some studies have involved burrow searches and populations. Devices can be installed in any area of interest and can nighttime vocalization playback combined with mist netting. These be pre-programmed to record at customized intervals. This reduces methods, however, are extremely labor-intensive and, therefore, are the cost of sampling because no field crew is required during the applicable to small and possibly unrepresentative areas, and they recording period (Williams et al. 2010, Buxton & Jones 2012, may have negative effects on burrow-nesting populations (e.g., Buxton et al. 2013). Importantly, these automated sensors also Bowman et al. 1994, Rodway et al. 1996, Carey 2009). allow for simultaneous, complementary surveying at multiple sites (Borker et al. 2014). Therefore, once the biases and assumptions are In recent years, technological innovations have given researchers quantified, the use of automated acoustic recorders is a cost-effective an alternative method to assess the presence and population size and practical method of monitoring burrow-nesting seabird colonies. of nocturnal, burrow-nesting seabirds: acoustic recorders. The use of automated acoustic recorders is becoming more common in The Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas is a medium-sized assessments of numbers of marine mammals (Johnson et al. 2009), seabird in the order Procellariiformes, with most breeding sites anurans (Brauer et al. 2016), and birds (Buxton & Jones 2012, Buxton located in eastern Asia. Although obtaining quantified information et al. 2013, Borker et al. 2014, Zwart et al. 2014, Pérez-Granados et has been problematic, this species may be decreasing in population al. 2019). These devices are weatherproof sound recording devices size through its entire range in response to the introduction of alien that can be programmed to record bird sounds at pre-determined mammals to breeding islands (Oka 2004, Jones et al. 2008, Dias et Marine Ornithology 49: 109–117 (2021) 110 Hart et al.: Estimates of Streaked Shearwater abundance in the Republic of Korea al. 2019). Indeed, Norway rats Rattus norvegicus in the Republic populations over time. To do this, we developed a model that can be of Korea (hereafter Korea) affect the survival and reproductive used to estimate the breeding abundance of Streaked Shearwaters on success of island-nesting seabirds. For example, on Sasu Island, a islands of unknown status using automated acoustic recorders. To small, forested island off the south coast, rats depredate upwards of this end, we first determined the relationship between vocal activity 80% of eggs and chicks in some years (Lee & Yoo 2002, Nam et al. and breeding Streaked Shearwater abundance via quantifying the 2004, Nam et al. 2014, Nam & Yoo 2017). It has become clear that call activity at sites of known density of active burrows. We then eradication projects are a powerful way to improve the conservation used this relationship to estimate abundance on a remote and status of affected seabird species (Howald et al. 2007, Jones et al. inaccessible island for which no information was available about 2016, Brooke et al. 2018). However, to justify the expenditure of Streaked Shearwater population size. funds for an eradication project, knowledge of the seabird breeding populations that exist on these islands, and the ability to monitor METHODS their numbers, must be in place (Holmes et al. 2019). In this regard, the population sizes of Streaked Shearwaters on the Korean islands Study species are almost completely unknown. The Streaked Shearwater breeds on the islands of eastern Asia, Here, we discuss the application of a cost-effective technique that predominantly off Japan (Ochi et al. 2010, Yamamoto et al. 2010, will allow the simultaneous and continuous monitoring of Streaked Sugawa et al. 2014), with smaller colonies around the coast of Shearwater colonies on remote Korean islands, providing a means Korea (Kuroda 1923, Park & Won 1993, Hart et al. 2015) on the to estimate their breeding bird abundance and assess changes in Chinese island of Qingdao in the northern Yellow Sea (Cui 1994), Bigeum-myeon Republic of Korea Chilbal Island Docho-myeon Fig . 1 . Locations of study islands in the Republic of Korea. Automated acoustic recorders were placed on two islands located in southwestern Korea. Chuja Island Sasu Island Marine Ornithology 49: 109–117 (2021) Hart et al.: Estimates of Streaked Shearwater abundance in the Republic of Korea 111 on the Pescadores Islands off Taiwan, and on the eastern Russian which is ideal for shearwater burrowing. The dominant seabird island of Karamzina (Oka 2004). species is the Streaked Shearwater, thought to number around 16 000 breeding pairs (KBN, unpubl. data). Non-native Norway Body size and vocalizations of male and female Streaked Shearwaters rats are present and are known to play a significant role in Streaked are sexually dimorphic. Males are generally larger and have a high- Shearwater egg failures (Nam et al. 2014). pitched whistle-like call, while females are slightly smaller and have low-pitched “honking” calls (Shirai et al. 2013, Arima et al. 2014). Chilbal Island (34°47′24″N, 125°47′24″E), 0.036 km2 in area, is They arrive at their breeding grounds in early March, the first to arrive located ~50 km from the southwestern coast of Korea and is covered awaiting the arrival of their mate; they generally return to the same predominantly by the sedge Carex boottiana along with sparse breeding burrow as the previous year (KBN unpubl. data). Burrows woody vegetation (Park & Won 1993; Figs. 1, 2B). Its highest range from 50 cm to > 2 m in depth and are usually dug into soft soil elevation is 105 m, and its shoreline consists almost entirely of steep of a hillside (Lee et al. 2002). In mid to late June, females lay a single cliffs, amongst which many seabirds nest. There are no permanent egg (Nam et al. 2008), which is incubated until hatching around mid- human residents on the island; however, there is a lighthouse, August; subsequently, the chick fledges in late October (Nam et al. and people visit the island infrequently. Chilbal Island is free of 2014). Adults generally cease visitation about two weeks prior to the introduced mammals and is therefore an important breeding site for fledging of their independent chicks. Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel Hydrobates monorhis, of which there are 7 000–13 000 breeding pairs (Taoka et al. 1989, Lee 2010). Streaked Study sites Shearwaters breed on the island, but their abundance is unknown because of the inaccessible nature of the island’s topography.
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